{"id":13177,"date":"2023-01-19T15:36:14","date_gmt":"2023-01-19T15:36:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.itilite.com\/?p=13177"},"modified":"2024-11-13T13:40:49","modified_gmt":"2024-11-13T13:40:49","slug":"managed-vs-unmanaged-corporate-travel-program","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.itilite.com\/blog\/managed-vs-unmanaged-corporate-travel-program\/","title":{"rendered":"Corporate Travel Program: Which One is the Best for you?"},"content":{"rendered":"
Corporate travel programs can streamline business travel and save time and money. Business travel is no longer the same as it used to be a few years ago when only a few employees would go on business trips to meet prospective clients or strike new business deals.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Over the years, the business travel industry has grown by leaps and bounds, and the global business travel market is expected to reach $791. 9 Billion<\/a> by 2026. <\/p>\n\n\n\n As more and more employees travel to meet their business goals, companies need to accommodate the increasing travel requests. You can do this only by defining a proper framework that helps optimize their business travel process. And the best way to do this is with the help of a corporate travel program. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Lets see how to choose the best corporate travel programs for your company.<\/p>\n\n\n\n A corporate travel program is a set of procedures and policies an organization adopts or implements to manage their business travel effectively. The main aim of a business travel program<\/a> is to optimize business travel spending while also improving the business travel experience. <\/p>\n\n\n\n This involves processes such as booking hotels and flights, trip approvals, preparing and managing travel itineraries<\/a>, handling trip expenses, and ensuring employees\u2019 safety.<\/p>\n\n\n\n There are two types of corporate travel programs: unmanaged and managed. Let us understand the difference between the two. <\/p>\n\n\n\n An unmanaged corporate travel program allows employees to book their own business trips. They book flights, hotels, and cab rentals on their own, either through third-party websites or directly from the hotel and flight websites. During the booking process, the travel manager<\/a> is not involved, and only after the booking do they get to know what employees have booked.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In a managed travel program, the travel manager makes all the bookings on behalf of the employees. The travel manager has to book flights, hotels, and everything else for all employees. <\/p>\n\n\n\n However, booking and managing travel for all employees is a time-consuming and tedious process. This is where Travel Management Company<\/a> (TMC) comes into the picture. The TMCs manage everything right from travel bookings, budgeting, analysis, insights into travel data, trip approvals, cost management, and many more. Therefore, in a managed corporate travel program, you have complete visibility during the booking process. <\/p>\n\n\n Determining the right approach for your business travel management<\/a> can be challenging. Mentioned below are some of the points that will compare unmanaged and managed corporate travel programs: <\/p>\n\n\n\n In an unmanaged travel program, employees have the freedom to book their own business trips. However, when employees are left to make their own travel arrangements, <\/a>there is a huge potential for non-compliance. <\/p>\n\n\n\n This is because employees book flights and hotels that align with their choices and not with the travel policy. And when employees fail to comply with the travel policy, it can adversely affect the company\u2019s monetary health. <\/p>\n\n\n\n A managed travel program can help your employees comply with travel policies. The TMCs help you make business travel arrangements, such as booking flights and hotels and preparing a good travel itinerary per your company\u2019s travel policies. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Additionally, they also use travel management software<\/a>, within which travel policies are integrated. So if employees make any out-of-policies bookings, the software automatically alerts the employees and trip approvers immediately. It also provides employees with a self-booking option to book their own trips while ensuring travel policy compliance<\/a> simultaneously.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In an unmanaged travel program, employees may not always book the most cost-efficient options. This is because they sometimes book a few days prior to a business trip’s commencement, or the options available are not according to their preferences. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Additionally, they may not be able to get good corporate deals and discounts as the websites are designed for personal travel. Therefore, hotel chains do not get incentives to offer any discounts for business travelers. <\/p>\n\n\n\n However, a managed travel program assists you in saving travel costs. A TMC has a team of experts who create a budget for business travel and negotiate with hotel<\/a> and flight vendors to get the best deals and discounts. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Also, the corporate travel management<\/a> software uses a GDS <\/a>(Global Distribution System) for the best hotel and flight inventories. This lets you access Low-Cost Carriers that help you save some bucks and thus aid in cost optimization. <\/p>\n\n\n\n As an organization, you must take care of your employees at all times while they go on business trips. In an unmanaged travel program, travel managers and organizations have little to no visibility about the whereabouts of their business travelers. It also doesn’t provide any way to easily track employees\u2019 safety<\/a> or locate them during an emergency. <\/p>\n\n\n\n A managed travel program provides you with a comprehensive duty of care<\/a> plan as a part of your business travel program. The plan includes the destination\u2019s risk assessment, employee health check-ups, business travel accident insurance<\/a>, and many more.\u00a0 The TMCs also provide 24\/7\/365 business travel support to your employees if they are stuck in any emergency situation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Also, travel management software has a live traveler tracking feature, where you can know the whereabouts of your employees. This way, with managed travel, you can ensure employee safety.<\/p>\n\n\n Get Free Traveler Risk Assessment Checklist<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n <\/p>\nWhat is Corporate Travel Program?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
What is an Unmanaged and Managed Corporate Travel Program?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n
Managed Vs. Unmanaged Travel Program<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
1. Travel Policy Compliance<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
2. Cost Optimization<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
3. Employee Safety<\/h3>\n\n\n\n